Graham church still recovering from fire

By Molly McGowan

Published: Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 03:35 PM.

“It came up in a deacon’s meeting,” said Chatman. “If you’ve got a group of people that want to come together and worship God, and you’ve got a building for it, the right thing to do is offer them the space.”

He said the New Mount Zion congregation meets for 11 a.m. worship service in their room Sundays, while First Baptist Church of Graham simultaneously holds its 11 a.m. service. But any other time, “They’re welcome to our sanctuary,” Chatman said.

He added, “They have had a musical already in the sanctuary,” as a fundraiser, and New Mount Zion has reserved the sanctuary for other events this year.

“We’ve been doing pretty good,” said Dark, adding his congregation planned an Easter sunrise service at 6 a.m. today, before joining First Baptist Church of Graham for its 11 a.m. Easter service.

Throughout the transition, “A few have left us,” he said. “They felt like the transition was taking so long,” which Dark said he understands. “We’ve lost several members, so we’re probably down to about six.”

However, those six have remained faithful and dedicated, said Dark.

“Through it all, I know God’s still got his hands on us,” he said. “This is a good chance (for) rebirth.”

GRAHAM – This Easter, the New Mount Zion Congregational Church won’t be holding its sunrise service in its own sanctuary, since the church hasn’t yet been rebuilt after last summer’s fire.

But the church’s pastor and small congregation hopes the new structure will be standing for next year’s Easter service, and is thankful for the generosity of another local church in the meantime.

On June 30, 2012, the 64-year-old New Mount Zion Congregational Church at 414 E. Harden St., Graham, burned down, and Pastor Paul Dark and church members were unable to salvage anything from the wreckage.

Last September, Dark created an account at Wells Fargo, after people kept offering to help the church raise money to rebuild.

Since then, “We had some fundraisers,” including singing events, and the remaining members have been tithing extra, Dark said.

And in February, the Graham City Council voted to rezone the property along Harden Street from “neighborhood business” to “conditional business zoning,” to allow the church to build a 1,500-square-foot building reminiscent of the original.

“It’s going to be the same plan of the old church,” which was built around 1950 and uninsured, said Dark. Last week, the property was graded, and will be ready for construction by the end of April.

But that’s only if the money comes.

The church had originally hoped to begin building this spring, despite the fundraisers and the extra tithing, it hasn’t raised enough money.

“The whole project is going to take about $119,000,” said Dark. So far, the church has raised about $10,000.

In the meantime, New Mount Zion Congregational Church has been meeting in a Sunday school room at First Baptist Church of Graham on Main Street, since last July.

Boyd Chatman, a deacon at First Baptist Church of Graham, said the small congregation has been a welcome addition to the Baptist church – which also provides the use of its chapel to Community in Christ Baptist Church, a Hispanic ministry.

“The mayor of Graham is one of our deacons, and is also highly involved in the (Graham) Fire Department,” said Chatman. Naturally, he became aware of New Mount Zion’s situation and knew its members were looking for a temporary space to worship.

“It came up in a deacon’s meeting,” said Chatman. “If you’ve got a group of people that want to come together and worship God, and you’ve got a building for it, the right thing to do is offer them the space.”

He said the New Mount Zion congregation meets for 11 a.m. worship service in their room Sundays, while First Baptist Church of Graham simultaneously holds its 11 a.m. service. But any other time, “They’re welcome to our sanctuary,” Chatman said.

He added, “They have had a musical already in the sanctuary,” as a fundraiser, and New Mount Zion has reserved the sanctuary for other events this year.

“We’ve been doing pretty good,” said Dark, adding his congregation planned an Easter sunrise service at 6 a.m. today, before joining First Baptist Church of Graham for its 11 a.m. Easter service.

Throughout the transition, “A few have left us,” he said. “They felt like the transition was taking so long,” which Dark said he understands. “We’ve lost several members, so we’re probably down to about six.”

However, those six have remained faithful and dedicated, said Dark.

“Through it all, I know God’s still got his hands on us,” he said. “This is a good chance (for) rebirth.”